Turning away from sexual immorality can sometimes seem an impossible task, given that we live in a world that is saturated with sexuality and lust. Every day, we are bombarded with sexual images, messages, and ideas. And it’s not just in the media or pop culture, but it’s also in our personal lives. All of us, whether we realize it or not, struggle with temptation in this area. But as Christians, we have been called to a different standard. We are called to be pure and holy, to be conformed to the image of Christ. So how do we turn away from sexual immorality when the temptations of this world seem so strong?
A Call to Holiness
The first step is to understand why God calls us to be pure and holy. In 1 Thessalonians 4:3-5, Paul writes, “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.”
God has called us to be set apart from the world, to be a holy people. And sexual immorality is a direct violation of that call. When we engage in sexual activity outside of God’s design, we are not honoring Him or His plan for our lives. We are also not honoring ourselves or the other person involved. Sexual immorality cheapens the gift of sex that God has given us and tears down the emotional and spiritual bonds that He intended to form between husband and wife.
But as I mentioned earlier, the temptations of this world can be so strong. So what do we do when we feel overwhelmed by them? The first thing to remember is that God is faithful. He has promised to provide a way out of every temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). So when we are faced with a temptation to engage in sexual immorality, we need to turn to Him and ask for His help. We need to pray for strength and wisdom to resist the temptation. We also need to be proactive in guarding our hearts and minds. This may mean avoiding certain places or situations that we know will be a temptation for us. It may mean being careful about the media we consume, or the relationships we form.
A Genuine Repentance from Sexual Immorality
But sometimes, even with our best efforts, we still stumble. We still give in to temptation. And if that has happened to you, I want you to know that there is hope. In 1 John 1:9, we read, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” God is gracious and loving, and He is always ready to forgive us when we repent and turn back to Him. So if you have struggled with sexual immorality, I encourage you to turn to God in confession and repentance. Let Him pick you up and set you back on the path of purity and holiness.
In conclusion, sexual immorality is a real and pervasive problem in our world. But as Christians, we have been called to a different standard. We have been called to be pure and holy, to reflect the image of Christ. And when we are faced with the temptations of this world, we need to turn to God for help and guidance. We need to be proactive in guarding our hearts and minds, and we need to confess and repent when we fall short. So I encourage you today, friends: turn away from sexual immorality and toward the one who calls us to be holy. He will give you the strength and grace you need to walk in purity and righteousness.
If you are struggling with sexual immorality, I encourage you to seek help from those who have walked in your shoes and have found hope and recovery through sexual sin. The Freedom Fight has an excellent, biblically-based program that is free. You can get the book here.
Pure Hearts: A 30-Day Devotional and Journal on Sexual Purity – eBook
This 30-day devotional and journal is perfect for helping an individual who needs to focus on what God’s Word says about sexual purity. Each day there are three different pages: a verse of Scripture with a place to complete for self-reflection, a devotional based upon the day’s verse, and a journal page to track triumphs and struggles for the day as well as a place to record daily status: doing well (recovery), feelings of sliding back into old patterns (danger), or the actual acting out on urges (relapse). This is a clickable eBook complete with tabs so you can easily move from one day to the next.
Paperback version available on Amazon!
